Thomas Arne

Composer

Birthday March 12, 1710

Birth Sign Pisces

Birthplace England

DEATH DATE Mar 5, 1778 (67)

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About

Wrote the version of "God Save the King" that became the British national anthem. He also wrote "Rule, Britannia!" and "A-Hunting We Will Go."

Before Fame

He was educated at Eton College. His passion for music drove him to great lengths, such as dressing up as a liveryman in order to gain admittance into the Italian Opera gallery.

Trivia

He was honored with a blue plaque that was unveiled at 31 King Street in Covent Garden in 1988.

Family Life

His father and grandfather were skilled upholsterers who were prominent in the City Company of Upholsterers. He married Cecilia Young in 1737.

Associated With

He and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were both famous 18th-century European composers.